Pneumatic hub for vehicles.



PATENTED JUNE 1a, 1907.

G. MIDDLETON.

PNEUMATIC HUB FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED BEPT.14,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 FIG.

' iZZzdZzZZoiz M arr- PATENTBD JUNE 18, 1907.

G. MIDDLETON.

PNEUMATIC HUB FOR VEHICLES,

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.14, 1906.

- ZSHEBTS-SHEBT 2.

UNITED sirArEs PATENT orFroE.

GEORGE MIDDLETON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE MID- DLETON PNEUMATIC HUB COMPANY, (1906,) LIMITED, OF LONDON,

ENGLAND.

PNEUMATIC HUB FOR VEHICLES.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907,

Application filed September 14,1906, seen no. 334,642.

To all who/rt it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MIDDLETON, coach-builder, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 21 and 23 Cale street, Chelsea, London, England, haveinvented certain new and'useful' Improvements Itelating to Pneumatic Hubs for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification In pneumatic hubs for vehicles and more particularly in my previous patent No. 827,930, the spokes are shown fixed into a spoke drum which being made wholly of metal wasvery heavy, lifeless, and costly to manufacture.

The object' of my present invention is to overcome these objections by constructing the drum of hard wood (for example, rock elm, which can be turned and worked into the desired shape) with astrengthening rim or band of metal which is fixed upon the periphery of the drum In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation and Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of a pneumatic hub constructed according to my invention.

a, b are the two flanges, of which I) is integral with the axle sleeve 0.

d is the spoke drum in which the spokes e are fixed.

1 is the pneumatic "ring which is mounted upon a flanged rim f (which may be-forrned in two parts as shown) capable of rotating upon the axle sleeve 0.

- g, g arebolts for securing the two flanges a, b, and-the spoke drurndin their proper position.

According to my present invention, I form I the drum (1 of a suitable hard wood (such as rock elm) and'I fix upon the eriphery therein that construction described I ofa metal rim orband whic is formed with openings h for the spokes which openings are preferably surrounded by collars or flanges 71" integral with the rim or band It. Preferably the band It is shrunk upon the drum d in an analogous manner to that by which the usual metal tire is fitted to a wheel of an ordinary road vehicle. The wood drum thus shod may then be turned interiorly to the desired shape and the spoke sockets 6 "formed opposite the openings h in the band it; also the transverse openings (1 for the bolts 9 may then be formed.

'By the above construction of the drum, it isrendered ossible to materially reduce the weight of t 1e hub, the amount of labor, and-the cost of manufacture ,while providin greater elasticity in the drum and increase efficiency in the hub as a whole without unduly weakening the same.

I claim I A pneumatic hub for vehicles, comprising a pair of flanges, an axle sleeve integral with oneof said flanges, a wood spoke drum located between said flanges, a metal band fixed to and surrounding said drum, sockets for the spokes formed through said band and in said drum, a metal rim having flanges thereon and adapted to rotate aroundthe axle sleeve, a pneumatic ring located within said rim and supporting said drum,. and means to retain said parts' in working position, as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I/have. hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE MIDDLETON, 

